Filling head for can filling machines



FILLING HEAD FOR CAN FILLING MACHINES Filed Jan. 11, 1950 Inventor Inn] 2 l 3 I r U O f .k M g W Q 4 L .l m 7 w. H'MHHHHWHHHHHHHHHHHIU z a r A ltorney Patented Dec. 26, 1933 I v i UNITED STATES] PATENT. oFFics FILLING HEAD FOR CAN FILLING MACHINES I w James Leonard, Rochester, N; Y, I a i v 3 I I i Application January 11, 1930. Serial No. 42ll,2 48 i a claims; (oi. 226-122) V This invention relates to filling heads for can As illustrated in the figures of the drawing; the filling machines that are used for filling semi-sol filling head comprises a solid center 1 having a ids such as tomato sauce etc. for saucing spadisc web 2 surrounding it centrally thereof At ghetti, beans, etc., and the object of this inventhe bottom, this'solid center is threaded as indi I tion is to provide a filling head with which the cated at 3., Surrounding. the solid center is a 60 cans can be filled without loss of material after housing 4 whichis shaped withan annular chaneach filling operation. a I nel which is provided with a resilientrubber gas- This and other objects of this, invention will ket or seal 5 which is mounted therein and is be fully illustrated in the drawing, described in concentric with the solid center. An annular rim 0 the specification andpointed out in the claims at 6 extends upward from the housing and surrounds 65' the end thereof. the web 2. The housing 4 with its rubber packo In the accompanying drawing: ing, hasa threaded engagement with the solid Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the filling center and is adjustableup and down thereon by head, the section b'eingftaken on theline 1a:- 1x merely turning it. The rim of the annular casof Figure 2. J n I ing is perforated at intervals asindicated at? to 7 0 Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the filling head. which perforations a wrench can be applied for Figure 3 is a side elevation of the filling head the purpose of turningit. These perforations also with a portion partly broken awayv at the top. permit; drainage of any water that may become In the several figures of the drawing, like reftrapped between the web 2 and the annular casing erence numerals indicate like parts. p 4 in the washing of the apparatus; Thevrubber 75 The filling head forming the subject matter of gasket.5 fits down upon the can 8 that is being my present invention is especially adapted for filled and makes an airtight joint therewith. I use in filling cans with semi-solid canned mate- Thefilling line, the air line through whichthe rial such as tomato sauce or any other similar air escapesduring the filling operation and the material used for saucing spaghetti, etc. I Such vacuum relief or vent all extend through the solid so material ha'sbeen found to'be very difiicult to fill center 1 and in each of them is located a valve by into cans by machinery because of the semi-solid means of which. the opening through the solid state in which the material although free flowing, center is controlled. Thefilling line is indicated has to be handled. Can filling machines, used for attic and this ha he l r t i id dia e r nd this purpose have, therefore, been found to be through this is drawn the matter that is filled into 5 very ineflicient in the handling of these canned the can, which m er is S r Q and yet is ee goods. Much of the trouble in filling canswith fl w T OWB end of this filling line s the semi-solidinaterial' isdue to the fact that larged as ind cated at 9 a twe t e filling the material is retained in the intake and air pasline and the enlarged end is fo med the valve sage of the filling head of the machine allowing at 0- p h W this va ve Seat 1813118 this retained material to drip from the filling piston Valve-11 which moves inthe enlarged end head after the filled can has been withdrawn. 9 f t 'fi in linev and is ar d on h l 'w r The cans are filled by the can filling machine e d o e V v e The enlarged e d 9 by means of gravity in which the material is fed o e filling line a the filling line itself is Cy 40 from a tank located above the head into the can dri al th u While t pi va ve 11 s to be filled. To make this possible, the air from thr ribs 3 thereon s s w in Figure 1-1. the can is allowed to escape thru an air line 'The valve stem 12 extends t ough t e fil in the filling head. This air line also fills up with ne d p through 1Zh'e tank W h sts n canning material in present day machines because he flange 15 formed abOVe t So d Ce he 45 of the excess of semi-solid matter allowed to feed Valve Stem carries on its upper end Suitable means into the can so that the material in the air line whereby the Va ve m y be raised a low red 3 i drips from the filling head after the filled can p d close the va v 11 on t e s at 10- The has been withdrawn. In the type of filling head valve 11 practically completely fills the enlarged forming the subject matter of this invention e d o e filling line so that 110116 of the Semi- 50 the retaining of any semi-solid matter in'the fillsolid material can pass'through the liquid line ing or supply line or the air line has been pracand enter the can 8 placed below the filling head tically eliminated, and the filling head operates except through the filling line 8a. As the valve in such a manner that none of the material is lost 11- is unseated the semi-solid material flows during the filling operation by dripping from the through the filling line 8a past the valve 11 and 55 filling head before a can is'located under it. into the can Bbelow the filling head. 1 The material is allowed to flow from the tank 14 into the can 8 in this manner until it is filled. As the can is filled the air within the can escapes through the air line 16 which air line is controlled by a' valve 1'? which is similar to the Valve 11 and which is mounted upon the stem 18 by which it is raised and lowered to control the opening and closing of the airline. The valve 1'? is adapted to seat itself upon the seat 19. The enlarged lower end 20 of the air line 16 is cylindrical as is the upper part of the air line at 16. The air valve 17 is provided with ribs 21 between which the air can escape. g

These ribs are on the valves 11 and 17 to prevent any of the solid matter that is in the can from backing up through the filling line or the air line and clogging the lines. It will be understood that the cans are filled first with beans, peaches or other similar matter before they come to this machine and the filling of the cans is then finished on this machine by adding the sauce or syrup etc. to the cans. The ribs on the valves 11 and 1'? prevent any of the solid matter in the cans from finding its way up into the valve seat or into the line above in which case it would interfere with the operation of the filling head.

A vent 22 is also provided in the solid head which is normally closed by a cone shaped valve 23 which is used for a purpose that will now be described.

011 machines of this character the can is held in place under the filling head by a small plat form that raises and lowers as the machine rotates. This platform raises the can in place against the filling head and holds it there during the filling operation. After the filling is completed and the valves 11 and 17' are closed this platform drops and carries the can with it away from the filling head. If. however, a partial vacuum has been established in the can, the can will adhere to the filling head. This vacuum is always destroyed by pushing down on the valve 23 for which purpose a lever 24 is provided pivoted at'25, the outer end of which lever is pushed down in any suitable manner. This raises the valve 23 and admits air into the can destroying the vacuum so that the can falls away from the filling head by gravity.

The threaded engagement between the solid center and the annular casing 4 permits the rub- ,ber gasket 5 to move up or down and this in turn permits accurate gauging'of the height to which the material is filled into the can. As shown in Figure 1, the annular casing 4 is at its highest point. By turning it around it can be brought down on the solid center and the further down it is drawn on the solid center, the more it will cause the can to be filled. That is, it will cause the can to be filled closer to the top. The higher the annular casing 4 is placed on the solid center, the more unfilled space will be left at the top of the can when the filling operation has been ended. On the rim 6 at thetop is provided a slot 26 at frequent intervals. A dog 2'7 is provided to engage one of these slots. When the annular casing 4- has been fixed at the correct height, the

dog will engage one of the slots and lock the casing so as to hold it in that position, thus securing uniformity in the filling of the can.

In the operation of my filler head the can is brought into contact with the gasket 5 and the valve 17 is then pushed down. This allows any material in the air vent to drain into the can. Then the valve 11 is pushed down and the material in the filling line then fiows down into the can and as it fiows in to the can, the air flows out through the air line 16. As soon as the can is filled, the valves 11 and 17 both close and then the valve 23 opens permitting the canto drop away from the gasket, as the platform that supports it drops away.

I claim: r V

1. A filling head comprising a solid center, having an air line and liquid filling line therein, a housing threaded on said center, said housing being channel shaped and holding a packing therein adapted to engage with the rim of a can, said housing being adjustable up and down on the center by turning it thereon, said center having a web extending radially therefrom, said housing having a cylindrical flange extending upwardly therefrom and engaging with and being guided by the rim of said web. 2. A filling head comprising a solid center, having an air line and liquid filling line therein, a housing threaded on said center, said housing being channel shaped and holding a packing therein adapted to engage with the rim of a can, said housing being adjustable up and down on the center byturning it thereon, notches formed in the upper rim of the housing, a latch pivoted on the solid center, adapted to engage with any one of said notches, placed in line therewith.

3. A filling head comprising a solid center, having an air line and liquid filling line therein,

.valves at the bottom of said lines, valve stems down therefromwith ribs thereon extending along the body. 7

JAMES LEONARD.-

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